Tell Us

Tell Us

"... [the people came] and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please, let our petition be acceptable to you, and pray for us to the Lord your God, for all this remnant (since we are left but a few of many, as you can see), that the Lord your God may show us the way in which we should walk and the thing we should do.” Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard. Indeed, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your words, and it shall be, that whatever the Lord answers you, I will declare it to you. I will keep nothing back from you. So they said to Jeremiah, “Let the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the Lord your God sends us by you. Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.” (Jer.42:2-6)

After some days the Lord reveals to Jeremiah what he is to say and he tells the people what the Lord revealed to him. They are told to go back to the Chaldeans and not flee to Egypt in fear, thinking they would have rest there for they will not. Remembering what they just said to Jeremiah that they would certainly submit to whatever the Lord reveals whether it was pleasing or displeasing to them, we would think the people would obey the voice of the Lord from His prophet. Now, let's see if this is indeed their response to Jeremiah after he reveals the words of the Lord:

"...and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.’..." (Jer.43:2)

Did you see that?
When confronted with the truth from God, with His words, the people stubbornly protest that these words aren't true. Suddenly the one who has never lied or hid the truth from them while prophesying and telling them the words of the Lord, is suddenly a liar and the words he brings untrue. Granted, no man is infallible, but Jeremiah was giving them directly what God had said. They even accepted the fact that what they might hear could be unsatisfactory to their understanding. Yet their pride gets in the way here and they do the exact opposite of what God had instructed.

Here's the point:
Because this was not what they wanted to hear, they called the prophet of God a liar and went ahead with what they wanted to do anyway. They did what seemed right to them, regardless of the words of God being plainly and clearly stated.

Does this sound familiar?

Let's turn our attention to two other instances where the word of the Lord was to be revealed and see how the hearts were attuned to accepting and obeying whatever the Lord said:

Habakkuk had questioned God, but his heart was right in that whatever the Lord would respond is what he would submit to and accept. He was humble:

"I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected." (Hab.2:1)

The hearts of another people were attuned to submitting to God, and here we see them ask a question and respond in obedience:

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."(Ac.2:36-38)

The Jews here in Acts asked a question in response to the message of Christ being preached, and when given God's answer they promptly obeyed it. Some 3,000 responded and many more followed.

We can ask our questions of God, but we need to look to and seek out His answers through His word. You and I both need to be satisfied with whatever the Lord has said and promptly obey it, not seek to change it or make it say something it doesn't.

When it comes to salvation and living a Godly life, whose voice will we choose to obey? Will we seek out men who will tickle our ears and tell us what may seem right to man, or will we seek out the truth of God's word and promptly obey it whatever the cost?

Many are content to live, and be like, the people in Jeremiah's day in their hearts and in their response to the truth of God. "Don't bother me with the truth unless it agrees with what I want to do."

Consider if our Lord had this same attitude while on this earth? Friend, you and I both know that with that attitude He never would have gone to the cross and died to save us from our sins, He never would have been that perfect sacrifice. If Jesus didn't live that way, what makes us think WE can and God just has to accept it and welcome us right in to heaven? Don't we see the absurdity?!

Be like Habakkuk and those in Acts; choose to serve God and submit to whatever He instructs us to do. Serve the God who gave you life and sustains you, the God who gave His Son upon the cross so that you might have life. Serve the Everlasting and Almighty God all the days of your life in gladness and full obedience, and therefore be rewarded with heaven for eternity. Submit your life to God or face an eternity in hell. That's the choice friend, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar. We can't walk our own way and get to heaven (Matt.7:13-14; Jer.10:23), so how about we stop that foolishness and walk with the Lord?

Friend, may we not only speak the truth from God's word to a lost and dying world, but let us all have the conviction and good sense to live it ourselves (2Tim.4:1-4; Matt.28:18-20).